STEPHENS, George Arbour, M.D., B.S.,
Il a été un pionier dans la recherche médical et un grand cardiologue et consultant spécial auprès du Roi Édouard V!!
G. ARBOUR STEPHENS, M.D.
Dr. George Arbour Stephens of Swansea, who died suddenly on Dec. 1, was of Huguenot descent through his father, was born on the other side of the Loughor, at Carmarthen, in 1870, and went to school there, afterwards going on to University College, Aberystwyth.
In 1888 he took the B.Sc. of London University, with honours in zoology, and entered for his medical
training at University College Hospital, London, qualifying
M.B., B.S. in 1892, with first-class honours in materia medica and honours in medicine. In the following year he took his M.D. Settling in Swansea, he remained there for the whole of his professional life.
In later years he specialized as a cardiologist and also in industrial medicine. He was consulting cardiologist to the Welsh National Memorial Association and to Carmarthen County Council and consulting physician to the Cardigan and District Memorial Hospital and to Llandovery and Clydach cottage hospitals.
He took an outstanding part in the initiation of infant welfare work in Swansea, was co-founder of the first Mothers and Babies Welfare in Wales, and a pioneer of mothercraft classes for schoolgirls and of the institution of school meals.
His position as a surgeon under the Factory Act gave him long experience of some Swansea industries, and he carried out some research in this field.
He was a past-president of the Swansea Medical Society.
Arbour Stephens took a considerable part in the public life
of his town and of the Principality. For 13 years he was a
member of the board of guardians and for some time chairman of the Glamorgan joint poor-law committee for the feebleminded.
For-18 years he was a member of the town council, latterly an alderman, and for 9 years chairman of the education
committee. He represented the Swansea municipality on the governing body of the University College; the college had been intended only for science courses, but on his advocacy it was widened to include the full arts faculty. Recently he had advocated a veterinary college for Wales.
His principal medical writings were on the prevention and relief of heart diseases and on the heart and spleen in health and disease. He also wrote on archaeology and folklore. He first joined the British Medical Association in 1901.
He married in 1922 Mary Williams, D.Litt., professor of modern languages, Swansea University College.
F. H. K. K. writes:
The sudden death of George Arbour S.ephens deprives the profession of a dignified, cultured figure whose wide interests covered a very large field not only in his own profession but also in the field of local government and particularly in education.
Settling in general practice in Swansea he soon built up a reputation for originality of outlook, and he had no hesitation in discarding any orthodox views if they did not come up to his own high standards of scientific truth.
Later he specialized in cardiology and industrial medicine, and the almost total disappearance of cases of lead poisoning among the speiter workers whom he regularly examined and on whose welfare he wisely advised is perhaps the greatest monument to his life’s work. He served on the Swansea Board of Guardians for many years and for 18 years served on the Swansea town council,
many of which years were spent as chairman of the education committee.
He was on the governing body of the University College of Swansea and of the National Library of Wales and also the Welsh National Museum. His ideas were prolific and many
of them in advance of his time, and the non-acceptance of some of them left him scornful of his feliows. Nevertheless those who knew him best and those who had received at his hands help, advice, and comfolt when in distress will remember him as a dignified, wise, and generous-hearted colleague and a fine useful citizen.
VERSION UNIVERSITAIRE DE STEPHENS LORS DE SON DECES
STEPHENS, George Arbour, M.D., B.S.,
B.Se. (Loud.); Consulting Cardiologist King !
Edward VII. Welsh National Memorial Assoeiation and Carmarthensliire County Council ; |
Senior Consulting Physician Cardigan and District Hospital and Clydaeh-on-Tawe Cottage Hospital ; 6. 19 Jan. 1870 ; s. of late Marcus A. Stephens; m. Mary Williams, M.A., D.Lifct., q.v., Professor of Modern Languages, University College, Swansea, Educ. : Croniwellian Grammar School, Cardigan; University Colleges, Aberystwyth and London.
Done much research work and industrial investigations ; taken an interest in Industrial.
Welfare and Municipal Politics ; pioneer of Mothereraft classes for schoolgirls ; co-founder of first Mothers’ and Babies1 Welfare in Wales ;
gave evidence before Royal Commission on University Education in Wales, and took active part in establishment of the University College at Swansea ; Member Court of University of Wales ; Member Court University College,
Swansea ; also of Saving Bank Trustees Member of Swansea Borough Council; ExChairman Swansea Education Committee.
Hon. Physician Royal Cambrian Institute for the Deaf; Certifying Factory Surgeon, Fellow Medical Society of London ; formerly Major R.A.M.G. (T. ); formerly Chairman of Glamorgan.
Joint Poor Law Committee for Feeble-minded ; Swansea Board of Guardians; late President Swansea Medical Society. Publications: Hospitals of Wales, 191$ ; Prevention and Relief of Heart Disease, 1920; Heart and Spleen in
Health and Disease ; articles dealing with heartdisease,
lead-poisoning, chilblains, ulcers, etc.
R&armtwiLs : golf, sociological work. Address:
61 Walter Road, Swansea. T.: 2359. If.: WN 4413. Club : Pennard Golf.
